Control unit for composing machines



1955 A. F. LINDBERG CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21, 1953 R O T N E V m ARTHUR F. Lmmafim BYZW ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1955 A. F. LINDBERG 2,701,051

CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 21, 1953 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ARTHUR F. LINDBERG BY W7 Wk ATTORNEY United States Patent CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSIN G MACHINES Arthur F. Lindberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Teletypesetter Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. 399,344

Claims. (Cl. 199-18) This invention pertains to control mechanisms for linecasting and composing machines and more particularly to apparatus for effecting the selective response of such machines to stored signal conditions.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tape controlled unit for linecasting machines for preventing repeated operation of the assembly elevator when consecutive elevator signals appear in the tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a predetermined code combination is given dual control functions, thereby permitting the code combination previously assigned to one of said dual functions to be reassigned for control of still other functions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control unit for linecasting and composing machines having means for disabling the elevator mechanism for all successive elevator signals except the first.

More specifically, it is sometimes desired to make the assembly elevator of the linecasting machine and the line feed mechanism of the telegraph printer (for example, of the type shown in United States Patent No. 1,904,164) respond to the same code signal (namely: also designated -2) whereas these mechanisms now respond to different code signals for the elevator signal and for the line feed signal). This procedure will permit the present paper feed or line feed signal (+l---, also designated 0--2--) to be used for the control of the magazine shift function. Thus, it was found that the elevator signal could also be used to line-feed the paper in the printer if the control unit (such as shown in United States Patent No. 2,091,286) were modified in such a manner that it would recognize only the first elevator signal; the following successive elevator signals to pass through the tape reader without having any effect on the elevator mechanism. Accordingly, the mechanism according to the present invention will cause the elevator of the line-casting machine to be operated in response to the first elevator signal, and succeeding consecutive elevator signals will have no further effect in the control unit until a change in the code permutation has taken place.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the control unit shown in United States Patent No. 2,091,286, illustrating the application of the present invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view of the apparatus show in Fig. 1 illustrating the mechanism according to the invention, and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the matrix assembly elevator of a linecasting and composing machine.

The present invention, in its preferred embodiment, has been adapted to an automatic control mechanism disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,091,286 granted August 31, 1937, to H. L. Krum et al., and particularly to the elevator mechanism, exemplified by the T-shaped lever 158 shown in Figs. 3 and 9 of said Patent No. 2,091,286. Accordingly, the disclosure of said Patent 2,091,286, insofar as it relates to the present invention, is incorporated herein by reference.

Special selector bar 8 pivotally carried on the common pivot rod 9 and normally biased rearwardly by spring 11 is adapted to be selected upon the reception of an elevator 2,701,051 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 operating signal Its movement forward engages one arm or portion 12 of a composite or elevator operating T-lever, generally indicated 13, thereby rotating said lever 13 counterclockwise about its pivot 14 and against the action of its spring 15, for a purpose to be described. The selective operation of the selector bar 8 is effected, as set forth more specifically in said Patent No. 2,091,286, under the control of a perforated tape 16 (Fig. 1) which is stepped through a record reader comprising a set of selector levers or tape reading elements 17, which are set permutably to, in turn, control the setting of a group of transfer levers 18 which control the permutative positionment of a corresponding set of connector members 19 which are connected to the set of code bars 21 that control the selection of a group of selector bars, exemplified by the elevator selector bar 8.

The composite lever 13, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, comprises the arm portion 12 and a main lever portion 22, both of which are mounted pivotally on the pivot stud 14 secured to the framework of the machine. Arm 12 is normally biased clockwise by a spring 15, and lever portion 22 is likewise biased by a spring 23. Carried on a pivot 20 on arm 12 is a latch element 24 having a portion 25 adapted to cooperate with a vertically extending lug 26 on portion 22. Latch element 24 thus functions as an articulating means to secure the unitary action of composite lever 13. Latch element 24 is normally biased counterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3) by a spring 27 against a stop 28. The latch element 24 is also provided with an arm 29 adapted to cooperate with a latch arm 31 of a T-lever 32 mounted pivotally on a pivot 33 fixedly mounted in the apparatus. Lever 32 is normally biased counterclockwise by a spring 34' so that its arm 35 bears constantly against an upstanding arm 36 of a lever rod 37 pivotally mounted in a U-shaped support 38. Fixed to the opposite end of lever rod 37 is an arm 39 the free end of which is adapted normally to bear against the web portion 41 of a bail member 42 mounted pivotally on a pivot shaft 43.

Carried in the bail member 42 and disposed transversely of the bars 19 is a rod 44 adapted to cooperate with a plurality of saw tooth cam projections 45, one in each bar 19. The positions which may be assumed by the several cam projections 45 may vary, depending upon the relative positions permutatively of the connector bars or settable members 19, so that rod is presented intermediate the two aforesaid positions in the path of travel of the projections 45 under the influence of a spring 46.

Special selector bar 8 is adapted to be selected upon the reception of an elevator operating signal. Elevator operating lever 13 is movable as a unit so long as portions 12 and 22 thereof are latched together by means of latch lever 24. So, in its movement forward, bar 8 engages arm 12 of lever 13 thereby rotating it counterclockwise about its pivot 14 (Figs. 1 and 3) and against the action of its spring 23. When so rotated, lever 22 pulls connecting link 47, rocking bell crank 48 clockwise (Fig. 2) which by means of its arm 49 forces disengagement cam lever 51 into effective position for withdrawing driven member 52 (Fig. l) of clutch 53 and arresting the record reader shaft 54. The other arm of lever 22 is connected to a bar 55 which during the described rotation is thrust rightwardly (Fig. 1) until its offset portion 56 is latched behind shoulder 57 of a spring urged trigger lever 58. An upstanding lug 59 of bar 55 is pivoted to one end of floating lever 61 through which it moves said lever during its own movement.

When a sufficient number of matrices has been accumulated on the assembling block of the linecasting and composing machine (for example; assembling block 178 of elevator 212 shown in Fig. 2 of the aforesaid Patent No. 2,091,286) with which a complete line may be molded, an elevator operating signal is sent through the record reader (exemplified by tape 16) which causes the selection of elevator operating bar 8 and the arresting of the record reader shaft 54 stopping the feeding of the control form or tape 16, as already described. This selection rotates lever 13, moving link 47 left'wardly and slide 55 rightwardly. Since link 47 is connected to clutch release lever 51 its movement leftwardly, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, presents clutch release lever 51 into position for engagement with a beveled lug (not shown) on the driven portion 52 of spring loaded clutch 53. The motion of record reader shaft 54 continues until said beveled lug comes into engagement with lever 51 whereupon it enters the orifice 62, engaging with its beveled edge 63 a corresponding inclined surface on said lug, thereby bringing shaft 54 to a stop. In so doing, said beveled lug, as well as driven member 52 are forced out of engagement with respect to driving clutch mem ber 64, and are temporarily so held by means of a detent lever 65 whereby the roller carried thereon is spring urged to fall behind shoulder 66 of disc 67 and to thereby further force driven member 52 rotationally and through said cam lug axially out of engagement with respect to driving member 64.

Slide bar 55 in moving rightwardly is latched by shoulder 57 of member 58 and in association with T-lever 13 imparts a similar motion to one end of floating lever 61 to which it is connected at 68. The opposite end of floating lever 61 is straddled by a yoke 69 which terminates the connecting link 71, whose opposite end (Fig. 4) is articulated to a delivery slide control lever 70 in the linecasting and composing machine, corresponding to lever 208 shown in Fig. 2 of said Patent No. 2,091,286, the function of which is to cooperate with the delivery slide arm 60 as described in said patent. Intermediate the ends of lever 61 there is carried an abutting portion 72 adapted to cooperate with the depending arm 73 of a bell crank 74, the horizontal arm 75 of which is adapted to cooperate with a clutch throw-out arm 76. Arm 76 cooperates with the clutch 77 in the same manner that arm 51 cooperates with clutch 53 (previously described). Clutch 77 controls the elevator shaft 78 on which are carried the elevator cam 79 and a control cam 81. Incidentally, power for shafts 54 and 78 is derived through gears 80 and from a power source in the principal linecasting machine as described in said Patent No. 2,091,286. The cyclic rotation of shaft 78 carrying with it the elevator cam 79 raises elevator shaft arm 82 to, in turn, impart rotation to an elevator shaft 83 extending transversely of the linecasting and composing machine. Fixed to the left end of shaft 83 (Fig. 4) is an arm 93. The elevator 94 is connected through link to the arm 93. The contour of cam 79 is such as to effect through arm 82 and shaft 83, the movement of arm 93 for raising and lowering the elevator 94. The elevator 94 constitutes a periodically operative mechanism.

Where, after a previous operation the elevator has been properly restored and thereafter another elevator operating signal is received, the selectable bar 8 is actuated in a forwardly direction (as viewed in Fig. 1) to rotate composite lever 13 counterclockwise to thereby act through link 47 to arrest the tape reader, and through slide 55 to become latched up against shoulder 57, as previously described. At the same time, lug 59 is actuated rightwardly to rotate floating lever 61 counterclockwise about yoke 69 as a fulcrum to cause portion 72 to rotate bell crank 74 counterclockwise to release clutch throw-out arm 76 which swings away from clutch 77 by spring action thereby permitting clutch 77 to engage to effect the rotation of the elevator shaft 78. Clutches 53 and 77 are single revolution clutches.

A finger 84, Fig. 1, carried by elevator operating arm 82, is adapted to overlie the horizontal arm 85 of a release bail member 86 pivoted at 87 and which is normally spring urged by a spring 88. Bail 86 is provided with an arm 89 by means of which it may engage the upper end of clutch release lever 51. During the rise of arm 82 when the elevator mechanism is first set in motion, finger 84 is lifted away from arm 85 thereby permitting spring 88 to rotate bail 86. The clutch lever 51 is thereby held in effective position, during the cycle of rotation of clutch 53, for disengaging the clutch 53 of the tape reader control shaft 54 to thereby arrest the tape reader. When the arm 82 is again lowered, after the elevator has delivered its load of matrices to the delivery slide, finger 84 again engages projection or arm 85 of member 86, thereby permitting clutch release lever 51 to be moved out of operative position and at once releasing the driven member 52 to establish driving connection to shaft 54 to again initiate the tape reading operation.

During the elevator operating cycle and while shaft 78 is rotating, the main lever portion v22 9f 1h? composite lever 13, as will presently appear, is maintained for a short duration in its extreme counterclockwise position by means of the offset portion 56 of slide 55 engaging the shoulder 57 of the trigger lever 58. Shortly after the shaft 78 is started into rotation, trigger release cam 81 engages the trigger lever 58 depressing it clockwise about its pivot 91 sufficiently to permit slide 55 to override the shoulder portion 57, thereby freeing lever portion 22 and allowing it to respond to its spring 23, to again assume its clockwise position. In thus moving lever portion 22, spring 23 also disengages release lever 51 through the medium of link 47, while at the same time, floating lever 61 is restored to normalcy through its connection 68 with slide 55 thereby permitting bell crank 74 to again present itself in position for holding release lever 76 in effective blocking position. Shaft 78 then completes its cycle, coming to rest again when the beveled lug on clutch portion 92 re-enters the opening in lever 76 (in a manner analogous to clutch 53, as previously described). When the elevator shaft 78 is thus actuated, it completes one revolution during which time it performs all of its functions including the holding of record reader shaft 54 in arrested position and thereafter releasing it and disengaging itself.

According to the present invention, facilities are provided for preventing repeated operation of the assembly elevator 94 when consecutive elevator signals appear in the tape 16. In other words, the mechanism hereinbefore described will cause the assembly elevator 94 of the linecasting machine to be operated in response to the first elevator signal, and succeeding consecutive elevator signals will have no further effect in the control unit until a change in the code permutation has taken place. Thus, when the first elevator signal has been received, the effect on the operation of shafts 54 and 78 will be as just described. However, as composite lever 13 was rotated counterclockwise by the selectable bar 8, the latch 24 was effective through the interengagement of arm 25 and lug 26 to cause the arm 12 and the lever 22 to move as a unit. When the composite lever 13 has been rotated sufficiently counterclockwise, the arm 29 will become latched up by the latch arm 31 of lever 32. Then, as the composite lever 13 attempts to move back to its clockwise position, the arm 12 is held back by reason of the latching engagement between arm 29 and latch 31 which due to the clockwise movement of lever 22 under the pull of spring 23, causes a slight rotation of lever 24 suflicient to unlatch the arm 25 thereof from lug 26. Thus, following the completion of the elevator operation pursuant to the first elevator signal, the lever 22 will have returned to its vertical position, as viewed in Fig. 3, and arm 12 may have only been partially returned to its clockwise position, having been restrained from full clockwise return by the coaction of latch 31 and arm 29, so that subsequent selective actuations of selectable bar 8 in response to consecutive elevator signals will have no effect upon arm 12, and hence no effect upon the composite lever 13.

The purpose of this is to permit the assignment of the same permutation code signal to both the elevator function and another function; for example, the line feed function, which may be a repetitive function. Thus, if certain matter is simultaneously being set up on a linecasting and composing machine and recorded on a telegraph printer, the signal which would initiate the elevator operation would also initiate a line feed operation on the printer. Now, if a succession of line feeds is desired in the printer, this could occur with the present invention without interfering with the automatic operation of the linecasting machine, since the first occurrence of said signal would simultaneously cause the elevator to operate in the linecasting machine and the line feed to operate in the printer. Then consecutive ones of said signal would have no effect on the linecasting machine, but would continue to effect the operation of the line feed mechanism in the printer once for each said signal received.

As previously mentioned, it is proposed to use the elevator signal for the dual purpose of elevator operation in the linecasting machine, and line feed operation in the interconnected printer. Then, by so doing, the signal which was normally used for line feed can now be assilgified to some other function; for example, magazine s 1 t.

According to the present invention, facilities are provided to restore the elevator operating mechanism to normal condition upon a change in the nature of the code signals being sensed by the tape or record reader. Thus, so long as elevator signals are being sensed by the tape reader the arm 12 will remain in its latched up condition. However, when a different code signal is sensed by the tape reader, the arm 12 will become unlatched in the following manner. It will be recalled that, so long as the bars 19 retain their permuted setting indicative of the elevator signal, the bail member 42 remains quiescent and no movement of members 32, 37 and 39 will occur. However, as soon as the bars 19 are shifted according to a different code signal, the movement of any one of the cam projections 45, rightwardly or leftwardly as the case may be, momentarily will cam the rod 44 upwardly to thus pivot the bail 42 counterclockwise about pivoto 43, thereby imparting counterclockwise movement to lever rod 37, which movement through arm 36 will cause latch lever 32 to rotate clockwise about pivot 33 to disengage latch arm 31 from arm 29 of lever 24, thereby permitting arm 12 to return to its normal counterclockwise position under the influence of spring 15. Arm 12 is thus in a position ready to be acted upon by the selectable bar 8 in response to the next elevator signal. Therefore, any code change will result in releasing latch 24 and thereby restoring the elevator recognition device to normal.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangement is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a control mechanism, indicia sensing means, selector mechanism comprising a plurality of settable members controlled by said indicia sensing means, selectable means controlled by said selector mechanism, a first instrumentality and a second instrumentality cooperably related to each other, means for articulating said instrumentalities for unitary action, a further instrumentality cooperating with said articulating means, whereby in response to the selective actuation of said selectable means said articulating means is rendered ineffective, cam controlled means cooperable with said further instrumentality, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said cam controlled means.

2. In a tape controlled mechanism, means for sensing indicia in a tape, selector mechanism comprising a plurality of settable members controlled by said sensing means, selectable means controlled by said selector mechanism, a first instrumentality and a second instrumentality mounted on a common pivot, means for articulating said instrumentalities for unitary action, a latch means cooperating with said articulating means, whereby in response to the selective actuation of said selectable means said articulating means is rendered ineffective, unlatching means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said unlatching means.

3. In a tape controlled mechanism, means for sensing indicia in a tape, selector mechanism comprising a plurality of settable members controlled by said sensing means, selectable means controlled by said selector mechanism, a first instrumentality and a second instrumentality mounted on a common pivot, means for articulating said instrumentalities for unitary action, latch means cooperating with said articulating means, whereby in response to the selective actuation of said selectable means said articulating means is rendered ineffective, cam controlled means cooperable with said latch means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said cam controlled means.

4. In a tape controlled mechanism, means for sensing indicia in a tape, selector mechanism comprising a plurality of settable members controlled by said sensing means, selectable means controlled by said selector mechanism, a first lever and a second lever mounted on a common pivot, means for articulating said levers for unitary action, a latch means cooperating with said articulating means, whereby under certain operating conditions determined by the actuation of said selectable means said articulating means is rendered ineffective, unlatchmg means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said unlatching means.

5. In a control mechanism, indicia sensing means, selector mechanism comprising a plurality of settable members controlled by said indicia sensing means, a first instrumentality and a second instrumentality cooperably related to each other, means for articulating said instrumentalities for unitary action, latch means cooperating with said ar ticulating means, whereby said articulating means is rendered ineffective during consecutive occurrences of predetermined indicia, cam controlled means cooperable with said latch means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said cam controlled means.

6. In a control mechanism, indicia sensing means, selector mechanism comprising a plurality of settable members controlled by said indicia sensing means, a first means and a second means cooperably related to each other, means for articulating said first and second means for unitary action, further means effectual under certain operating conditions to latch said articulating means, whereby said articulating means is rendered effective, cam controlled means cooperable with said further means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said cam controlled means.

7. In a linecasting and composing machine, a periodically operative mechanism, power means for operating said mechanism, a control mechanism comprising indicia sensing means, selector mechanism including a plurality of settable members controlled by said indicia sensing means, selectable means controlled by said selector mechanism, a first instrumentality and a second instrumentality cooperably related to each other, means for articulating said instrumentalities for unitary action to cause in response to the selective actuation of said. selectable means said power means to operate said periodically operative mechanism, a further means cooperating with said articulating means, whereby said articulating means is rendered ineffective pursuant to the first actuation of said selectable means, cam controlled means cooperable with said further means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said cam controlled means.

8. In a linecasting and composing machine, a periodically operative mechanism, a record reader, a composite lever comprising a first element and a second element, means for articulating said elements for unitary action, a selectable element controlled by said record reader in response to certain signals for actuating said composite lever to effect the operation of said periodically operative mechanism, and means cooperating with said articulating means for limiting the operation of said periodically operative mechanism to a single operation in response to consecutively repeated occurrences of said certain signals.

9. In a linecasting and composing machine, a periodically operative mechanism, a record reader, a composite lever comprising a first element and a. second element, means for articulating said elements for unitary action, a selectable element controlled by said record reader in response to certain signals for actuating said composite lever to effect the operation of said periodically operative mechanism, a further means cooperating with said articulating means for limiting the operation of said periodically operative mechanism to a single operation in response to consecutively repeated occurrences of said certain signals, and means cooperable with said further means effective under the control of said record reader to render said further means ineffective.

10. In a linecasting and composing machine, a periodically operative mechanism, a record reading means including a plurality of settable members, a composite lever comprising a first element and a second element, means for articulating said elements for unitary action, a selectable element controlled by said record reading means in response to certain signals for actuating said composite lever to effect the operation of said periodically operative mechanism, a further means cooperating with said articulating means for limiting the operation of said periodically operative mechanism to a single operation in response to consecutively repeated occurrences of said certain signals, cam controlled means cooperable with said further means, and cam means carried by said plurality of settable members for controlling the effectiveness of said cam controlled means.

No references cited. 

